Czech Green Party: Mayor of Nový Bydžov has opened the way for the dissemination of extremism

The Green Party is very disturbed that the Police of the Czech Republic did not manage to correctly handle the situation in Nový Bydžov yesterday. Even though civil rights activists and political representatives called on the police in advance to not underestimate the situation and prepare for possible illegal behavior on the part of the neo-Nazis, police chose instead to intervene with force against peaceful civilian activists.

On the scene, according to the eyewitness testimonies of citizens who were present, it was proven that the National Resistance had also invited its members to the event and that at least one organizer was wearing a scarf with the logo of the banned Workers’ Party on it. The police and the secretary of the town hall had enough background information available to have canceled the DSSS demonstration on the basis of the motion filed by Czech Green Party chair Ondřej Liška. Unfortunately, by not doing so, they merely encouraged the right-wing extremists. That encouragement resulted in the racially motivated attacks committed there yesterday evening.

“It is disturbing that even though the police and the town hall had a motion from me to disperse the neo-Nazi demonstration, they instead intervened against the peaceful counter-demonstrators. I do not know why the state attorney was not present on the scene to monitor the situation together with the police. If it is possible to take such a measure when football matches are being held, why was such a measure not taken in this case, when there was the threat of racially motivated attacks and promotion of the Nazi ideology? The police motto ‘To Help and Protect’ has acquired an absurd meaning now. The police and town hall are ‘helping and protecting’ the dissemination of racial intolerance,” says Green Party chair Ondřej Liška, who directly participated in the counter-demonstration.

After yesterday’s events it seems that right-wing extremism has a clear path ahead of it. Not only are people connected with right-wing extremism being supported for high office in the state administration by Czech President Václav Klaus (see the scandal of Mr Bátora), but the local government of Nový Bydžov is joining these efforts.

“Police intervened only against the peaceful counter-demonstrators, who were merely committing the misdemeanor of not obeying police orders. The police let the neo-Nazis freely violate the Constitution by shouting racist slogans,” says Matěj Stropnický, a member of the Green Party Presidium who was also a direct participant.

“I call on Czech MP Řápková (Civic Democrats – ODS) and the mayors who joined the February meeting in Nový Bydžov to give us their opinions of yesterday’s events. It is important to know whether they approve of marches by extremists through the streets of our towns and whether they are capable of publicly condemning them,” said Petra Kolínská, Vice-Chair of the Green Party.